Effects of escitalopram on symptoms and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: Insufficient response to treatment and declining quality of life illustrate the continuing need to find new treatment modalities for allergic rhinitis (AR). The purpose of this study was to assess how escitalopram affects symptoms and quality of life among AR patients. METHODS: This study included 120 patients with AR, who were divided into four treatment groups of 30 patients each. Patients were assessed before treatment and at the end of the 3rd month based on nasal symptom scores, otorhinolaryngological examination, the Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire, and the Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory. All patients received standardized treatments. Group A patients with positive Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory scores received escitalopram, and group B patients with positive Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory scores received placebo. Group C patients with negative Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory scores received escitalopram, and group D patients with negative Beck Depression and Anxiety Inventory scores received placebo. RESULTS: Anxiety scores pre- and posttreatment revealed a statistically significant reduction in groups A, C, and D. All four groups exhibited reduced posttreatment scores for sleep, nonnasal and noneye symptoms, eye symptoms, and emotions. A statistically significant difference appeared between groups A and B in terms of general complaints and nasal symptom scores. CONCLUSION: The positive effects of escitalopram on posttreatment quality of life in the Beck-positive patient group were a predictable outcome. Otolaryngologists should pay more attention to the moods of their patients with AR while they evaluate treatment during clinical follow-up visits.

Sertraline, escitalopram and tianeptine related abnormal movements but not with bupropion: a case report.

It is not scarce that patients experience various extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) during antidepressant drug therapy. Thus, choice of an antidepressant drug in case of extrapyramidal side effects, at present, is a dilemma. Escitalopram, which is a recently marketed selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI), has no such reputation. There is just one case reported for tianeptine that induced abnormal involuntary movements/extrapyramidal side effects. We would like to present a case that was successfully managed with bupropion which had developed EPS during 2 different SSRI (sertraline and escitalopram) and tianeptine therapy.